Welcome to the Black Parade
by Sethking
Summary: When Nico is visited by a mysterious stranger -who his fate is tied to- he must do all he can to help Percy defeat Kronos. But can he save the stranger as well as his sanity?
1. Bad Luck Arrives

_**Hi Hi It's Sethking here, writing this story with the awesome Sistergrimm! This is just the first chapter so tell us if you like it and we'll reply to your reply. (that's kinda confuddiling...)**_

Welcome to the Black Parade

Chapter 1

_Bad Luck Arrives_

Nico di Angelo hated Los Angeles.

He should have felt right at home here. After all, the Underworld was here. It should have felt like home. It made sense, after all. He was a child of death.

Well, he wasn't at home. He was lonely. His dad wouldn't let him see Bianca unless he lived in the Underworld full time. And he'd have to be dead to do that. Sometimes he thought about it. But something held him back. Things left to do.

Like find out how to stop his evil grandfather from taking over Western civilization, for one.

So preoccupied was Nico, standing there, that he did not see the Chimera coming after him. When he did, it was too late to draw his sword. Its fangs were at his throat, and he relaxed. No life flashing before his eyes. Just a welcoming haze-

"Come and get me, dog," mocked a girl from the other side of the alley Nico had been brooding in.

The Chimera amazingly took its claws off Nico's throat and growled toward the unarmed girl.

Wait... _unarmed_? The son of Hades scrambled to get up and help before the girl became monster meat. But he knew he'd be too late...

But the girl, dressed in a plaid miniskirt, black leggings, wearing jack-in-the-box earrings, and a T-shirt with CHAOS blazed on it, told the monster, "Happy Friday the 13th."

And the Chimera swallowed as she met its eyes. Their eyes continued to meet, the girl's eyes turning black, and the monster exploded into dust.

"Hello, Nico di Angelo," said the girl pleasantly, sticking out a hand. In the light, Nico saw she was his age, or maybe a year older, white and pale with eerily black hair and too many ear piercings.

"Who are you?" he said shakily, taking the hand as she helped him up.

"My name is Kallisti A. Darcy. Daughter of Eris."

He blinked in surprise.

"How did you..." he gestured to the dust as they began walking to Nico's apartment- a little Mist manipulation and enough money, and you could get anything you wanted in L.A.

"It's Friday the 13th," Kallisti said as though that should make everything clear. When the son of Hades merely stared at her blankly, the demigod rolled her eyes and said, "My powers are related to bad luck. What's unluckier than Friday the 13th? Normally I have weapons, but I was in a hurry."

"Why were you in a hurry?"

"To find you, of course," this girl's manner grated on him. Like everybody was supposed to know everything she was talking about.

"Could you stop doing that?"

"What?"

"Acting like I'm supposed to know everything."

Kallisti sighed. "Sorry. Look, I'm a little short on people skills. But I was trying to find you because I'm drawn to bad luck. And chaos and despair. You... no offense, but you're carrying a lot around."

Nico nodded. "None taken. So... you want to help me, Kallisti?"

Kallisti pursed her lips. "Not sure I can. But I had a dream. The Fates spoke to me. They showed me the string of our lives. And tied them together. Your fate is my fate, son of Hades."

Nico shivered. "Let's hope my fate is better than it's looking right now, Kallisti Darcy. Because I don't want to take anyone else with me where I'm going." He ran ahead.

She was right there, waiting for him as he blinked dumbly. "Don't be stupid. You can't be rid of me that easily. You may be a child of the Underworld, but my mom's no slouch. And I'd just as soon not take anyone down my road, but the Fates don't lie. And I know what you seek. I think I can help you."

"Cryptic much?"

"You want a way to defeat Kronos? A way to help your friend Percy?"

"Who doesn't?"

"Then know this. My mother gave me this bottle." She handed him a message in a bottle with a red cork. "She said it only responds to a child of the Big Three's touch. So let's go open it somewhere secure."

They stopped at Nico's doorbell. He waved the Mist in the doorman's face. "Good evening, Mr. di Angelo," said the bellhop sleepily.

"Yes, to you as well," replied Nico and they hurried up the elevator.

The elevator was silent. Nico opened the door to his loft and gestured Kallisti in. She blinked, surprised at the invitation somehow, and they lounged on the couch uneasily, like two wary wolves not certain if they want to be friends.

"So, go on, open it," urged the other demigod after a silence.

He fiddled with it. "It won't open."

"It needs blood," she explained. "Just prick your thumb." She rummaged in her pockets to offer him a sheathed ceremonial dagger. The point was sharp, and it wasn't merely ceremonial.

Nico pricked his thumb reluctantly, and rubbed it on the bottle. He pulled the cork open and it revealed something, a piece of paper he unwrapped shakily. It read:

The Oracle of Delphi.  
_To Whom It May Concern_.

**In a war between family thought best forgotten, **

**A hero shall arrive, of the three lairs begotten. **

**Olympus may yet survive, should it change its ways, **

**But upon the sixteenth birthday the child shall decide **

**Whether it will stay, **

**Or crumble to dust, **

**Beware the seven vices, particularly lust, **

**For even gods can not hold them at bay, **

**No matter what promises they say. **

**Not without friends shall we fight, **

**But as day turns to night, **

**The crossroads this half-blood makes is even out of Delphi's sight. **

**And ne'er shall the tide turn in the demigod's favor, **

**Until he gains that which he cannot savor, **

**For a hero's fate always ends in tragedy. **

"Whoa," murmured Nico, massaging his temples. "That's a harsh one. Poor Percy." Kallisti rushed over, and read it over his shoulder three times.

"It really _is_ him," she said, surprised for some reason.

"How can you tell?" he said, surprised.

"The tide turning. Reference to Poseidon."

"Ah. I worry for his friends. The last three lines... he has a not-girlfriend. He loves her a lot."

"It would make sense," said Kallisti, nodding. "But the Oracle's prophecies are rarely what they seem. The last line seems decisive... but maybe not."

"Thanks. This helps."

"Really? How?"

"Well, for one thing, the battle will be at twilight."

"What difference does that make?" asked Kallisti with impatience.

"The Herispedes must be convinced to turn on Atlas. They are the nymphs of sunset and twilight. They could win or lose the day for us. And if we are to count them among our friends, we have to release some family. Like Promethus. They're his favorite nieces. Only he could convince him to turn on their father."

"I thought Heracles released him?"

"Zeus put him back up there. They disagreed on what Perez Hilton was saying. Zeus is a total Lindsay Lohan fan and hates anyone who takes Perez Hilton's side."

"Whoa. Talk about harsh."

"Zeus was temporarily insane," A dark crack of lightning flashed through the sky. Kallisti rolled her eyes and Nico continued, "But now he can't be released by anyone but a hero. And the gods were too embarassed to ask."

"Okay. Anything else, Kallisti?"

She grabbed his arm. "We're not saying goodbye. Not ever. The Fates have made sure of that."

"Sheesh."

She smiled at him, a wicked lovely smile. "Don't worry. I don't snore."  
"Wait... I don't have an extra bed," he said warily as they entered the bedroom.

"No problem," she said, unopening her backpack and heading into his bathroom. "I won't take up much space."

After the door slammed, Nico blinked.

"Glad to see she's made herself at home," he muttered.

He shook his head and pulled some sweatpants on and took off his shirt. His usual bedtime routine. Bianca would have insisted on PJ's... his throat swelled and he had to blink back the tears. Losing the only person in the world who cared about him or he knew for ninety years was not something you got over. Even if she was in their father's care.

Surprisingly what Kallisti said had been true. She hadn't snored once and Nico hardly knew that she was there. There had been a slight nagging suspision that she would do something in the night, like slit his throat or something equally horrific, but she lay sleeping like a log next to Nico in his bed.

When he woke up, though he couldn't quite remember falling asleep, it was Kallisti shaking him awake. "C'mon, Nico. Things to do, places to go, a son of Poseidon to shock..."

"What in the name of Zeus-," he muttered, but rolled out of bed all the same. Kallisti was already dressed in black jeans, a red T-shirt with the words _Night's Favorite Granddaughter_, and skull earrings.

She smiled sunnily at him. "Get yourself dressed, Dead Boy. We're going to New York."

"Says who," Nico sputtered.

"Says that prophecy in my pocket. That thing's red-hot, and we've got to get it to relative safety. Which means Percy Jackson. We can't take it to Camp Half-Blood, Chiron will notify Olympus and my mom will be in huge trouble. But hopefully-," she shrugged.

"How do we get it there fast enough?" Nico said worriedly, sense penetrating his morning fog.

"We make a wish," she replied enigmatically, waiting impatiently for him to collect himself.

And so after packing his stuff out of the spare apartment, and Kallisti collecting her duffle bag, they headed out to what Nico assumed to be the bus station. When she saw them heading into a Catholic church, he was shocked. "Kallisti- what are we doing in here? We're pagans," he said in an undertone, tugging on her arm.

"Remember when I said make a wish?" Kallisti said. "Well, Church is filled with wishes. Here, we'll hide in the back. Now all we have to do is make a prayer."

"To who?" Nico asked, feeling uneasy among all the monotheism.

"To anyone, really. A wish we wish with all our souls."

Nico had seen souls. He was the son of Death. He wished... he wished he had a family. Someone to come home to every night. He wished he hadn't repelled Bianca so much she'd become a Hunter and died. He wished his mother wasn't long dead. He wished he had a normal father, a selfish wish he hoped the Lord of the Dead never heard. He wished for someone to count on, depend on. A partner, someone to love.

_You wish for something that has already been given_, said a voice in his head.

_Who are you?_ Nico said, shocked.

_Call me whatever you like, hero. But fear not, you have been given what you ask for._ A laugh echoed in his head, and suddenly he was flying through the angel catchers, flying so high he thought it impossible. But he felt more than simple flight as he floated above the cathederal. He felt his soul float above, and then he saw Kallisti.

Her black hair was thrown back and she was laughing in pure joy. She smiled dazzingly, staggeringly at him, and Nico smiled back, for almost the first time since he'd seen Bianca at Elysium.

The winds carried them to New York City.

_**As I wrote at the top, I hope that you liked this first chapter and you want us to continue with the story. Constructive Critisism welcome, flames are not! **_


	2. Birthday Presents

This is chapter 2 of Welcome To The Black Parade- Birthday Presents

_**This is chapter 2 of Welcome To The Black Parade- Birthday Presents. Read on for the story, and of course we don't own PJO because if we did we'd be rich, and at the moment we're not. So there. **_

"If I'm right, it's the only way you'll stand a chance," Nico paused. "Is that birthday cake?"

"Come in for cake and ice cream. It sounds like we have a lot to talk about."

As they exited the fire escape, Kallisti was in the living room.

"Gee, your bedroom window's really small, Jackson," she said. "And the décor is kinda lacking."

Nico sighed. "I thought you were going to stay outside."

Kallisti shrugged. "It's cold out, and there's nothing to do."

"How can it be cold, it's August! And it's New York City, there's always stuff to do."

Kallisti bared her teeth. "Not the stuff I like, Dead Boy."

Percy held up a hand to his forehead. "Excuse me, but who are you?"

"Erm, I'm Kallisti. He-," she pointed at Nico, "was supposed to say who I was."

"I am not your slave," whined the son of Hades.

"If you want that bottle you'll have to be," she retorted.

Percy looked confused, then sighed. "Okay, you're Kallisti. Are you a daughter of Hades too?"

"No!" Kallisti looked shocked. "It's Eris dumbass!"

Percy blinked. "Hold on, Eris. Isn't she working for the Titans?"

"Stop assuming! And no!"

Nico stepped between his two friends. They silenced for a moment.

"Okay, Percy, we visited to bring you this."

Kallisti held out the small bottle in front of her. Percy looked at it with a raised eyebrow.

"What is that?"

"Guess."

"I'm guessing, not a birthday present?"

"Nope," said Kallisti.

"Is it empty?" Percy hazarded.

Kallisti shook it. "Yes, Jackson, we came from Los Angeles to bring you an empty bottle."

"Wait, there's paper in there. Erm, okay, why do I have a bad feeling about what's written on that paper?"

"No that's just my aura. Sorry 'bout that," said Kallisti. Nico rolled his eyes.

"I'll give you a hint Percy," said Nico finally. "It's a prophecy."

Percy stiffened at Nicos words.

"Bingo, we have a winner!" said Kallisti. She began to do a happy dance. Nico and Percy qucikly turned away from her.

"What prophecy?" asked the son of Poseidon, though he had a bad feeling what prophecy.  
"Do you want to read it?" Nico asked carefully as Percy still seemed a little shocked.

"I guess I'll have to then."

He looked at the bottle and back up to Nico's face. "One question."

"Mhmm?" asked Nico.

"How do I open it?"

Kallisti took out her dagger.

"Here's the official Great Prophecy bottle opening thumb pricking knife!"

Percy looked at it in disgust, shrugged and pricked his thumb. "Owch," he muttered.

"Baby," Kallisti's voice had a serious tone to it now that she had stopped happy dancing.

Percy pressed his thumb to the cork, and the paper fell out. Unrolling it shakily, he read it, once, twice, three times.

Bored, Kallisti began humming a Paramore song to herself. When that got dull, she asked Nico, "Wow, is he that slow a reader?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "He's about to discover his fate and determine that of the world."

"Drama queen."

"Who, me or him?"

"Both."

"Wow," Percy finally said. "Um... wow. Are you sure this is the right prophecy?"

Nico glared at him. Kallisti smacked her forehead. "And this," she asked the ceiling, "is who's supposed to save the world."

"Hey!"

"Well, stupid, prophecies don't work like buffets! You're kinda stuck with what you get."

Percy flinched. "Sorry," mumbled Kallisti reluctantly.

"Anyway, our other reason for visiting," continued Nico, "was to give you a quest."

"Um, thanks?"

"Well, you know how the prophecy says when day turns to night? Well, the Herespides are the nymphs of the twilight. We need to convince them to turn to our side or we're doomed. So we need to release Promethus, because he's the only one who could."

"Didn't Hercules release him?"

"Long story."

"But long story short," Kallisti said, "he was put back on the moutain."

"And we can't tell anyone..." continued Kallisti...

"Not even your mother," accused Percy.

"Mom will know."

"If you tell her."

"She will know. She's actually smart enough to keep an eye on her kids."

"Hey!"

"Well, it's true. If the gods hadn't been too lazy to claim some of their kids, we wouldn't be facing this big an army."

"Whatever," said Nico.

"Anyways, it'll be good to have one goddess on our side, cause you two can't pray to your fathers if we don't want to get dragged up to Olympus," she pointed at them.

"Why would Olympus be mad?" asked Percy."

"Well, starting with the fact that we just showed you the super top secret prophecy about your 16th birthday, which the gods have been trying to keep a secret from just about everybody since before you were born; Pardon me if I don't think they'll clap us on the back for doing this."

"But releasing Promethus and getting the Herespides on our side will be a sign of good faith," said Nico. "It is always easier to get forgiveness than permission."

"You like Eragon?" asked Kallisti.

Nico blushed. "Well, yeah, but why is it a Cycle now? I hope Christopher Paolini knows what he's doing."

"Me too!" agreed Kallisti.

"Anyways..." said Percy. "Can I bring anyone?"

Kallisti pursed her lips. "Only if it's someone who's smart enough to know we can't tell Olympus about it."

"Let me guess," Nico said drily. "Annabeth."

Percy flushed. "We kinda haven't spoken in a while..."

"We need all the help we can get," inserted Kallisti. "Swallow your pride and send her an Iris-message. And for the love of Eris, tell her to bring any weapons she has. And no four-leaf clovers. Or pink."

"What?" asked Percy.

"My powers are of bad luck, chaos and despair. Haven't you noticed I only have one weapon?"

"You can't be that powerful," scoffed the other demigod. "Eris is a minor goddess-,"

Kallisti's eyes flashed dangerously. Percy gulped. "Eris is a minor goddess in the eyes of Olympus, but she is also a daughter of Nyx. I am a granddaughter of Night itself, and unless you want to be blinded in eternal darkness by yours truly, you'll respect me and my mom."

Percy nodded.

Kallisti smiled sunnily then. "Anyone have a drachma?"

_**We hope you liked it and we will try to update soon. **_

_**Love Sethking and Sistergrimm. **_


	3. Departure

**Sister Grimm here. I wrote about two-thirds of this chapter, but all the best parts are Sethking's. Now, please please review or Kallisti and Nico will tag-team you, and that's not something you want to see. Love all you guys, hugs and chocolate for reviewers!**

"And that's how we ended up here," concluded Nico in his IM to Annabeth.

Annabeth had frown lines in between her brows. She sighed, her eyes passing over Kallisti unsettlingly. "I'll come along. It sounds less dangerous than some of your other quests."

"Don't say that!" cried Kallisti, looking up from polishing her nails black.

"Excuse me?" asked Annabeth, eyes flashing angrily.

"I said: Don't. Say. That. Gee, haven't you seen a movie? That's the ultimate jinx!" replied the daughter of Eris, shocked.

Annabeth rolled her eyes at her. "I'm not stupid."

Kallisti looked her up and down and shrugged.

"Okay, Annabeth. Meet you where?" interjected Percy before things got ugly.

"Er, you know I'm in Frisco right?"

"Well, yeah," said Percy dumbly.

"I can't just jump on a plane and see you, you know?"

"But you did before. Why can't you do that now?"

Annabeth flushed. "That was different." The two looked away.

"How?" Kallisti asked intrigued as to why they were both flushing.

Nico nudged her.

Kallisti shoved him away.

Nico nudged her again.

"Please tell me how?"

"Because," stammered Percy, "camp was in danger!"

"I have a feeling it was more than that," muttered Kallisti under her breath.

"Why are you blushing?" pestered the daughter of Eris; clearly, she didn't know when to call it quits.

"Kallisti, let it go," said Annabeth, her tone icy.

"Sheesh," said Kallisti, throwing her hands up.

"Anyway," said Nico, "how are we going to meet?"

"Not on a plane," said Percy, white-faced.

"Bingo!" shouted Kallisti.

"What?" asked Nico.

Everyone stared at her.

"My mom has something we could borrow," she interjected.

"What?"

"Well... a chariot driven by skeleton horses that breathe fire. It's kinda Stygian iron, so she'll be mad if we damage it."

"Wow," murmured Nico.

"And she'll loan it to you?" Annabeth asked skeptically.

Kallisti's eyes narrowed a bit. "She raised me," admitted the girl. "I'm her legal heir by Olympian law." Annabeth gasped away a bit of envy, and Nico appraised Kallisti with new eyes.

"Hold on, _Olympian law_?" asked Percy, widening his eyes.

"What, did you think the gods didn't have laws?" said Annabeth. Nico privately thought that sometimes, gods acted like rules were made to be broken. "Every god or goddess has a legal heir... like a substitute in case something happens to them, not that that's likely, being immortal and such. They don't even have to be related, but you know. Artemis' legal heir is the lieutenant of the Hunters, that's Thalia now, um... my mother's _was_ Dadealus, she's close to naming a new one. Hades's heir is a spirit, no one knows exactly who, but probably one of his kids. Zeus named Hercules, provoking the wrath of Hera. A lot of them are secret. But I thought," she said, looking pointedly at Kallisti, "they had to be immortal."

"Not for Eris," amended Kallisti. "If I die and she die, there is no strife nor discord nor chaos. And the gods would no doubt be pleased about that, as much as they acknowledge it is a part of mortal life. And too often, their own."

"So why did she make you the heir, knowing that?" asked Nico.

"Because," Kallisti said, "she hasn't had a sane child in millenia."

"Sane?" blurted the son of Hades, shocked.

"Her nature _is_ manipulative. She is chaotic. She strikes discord. Very few men have a nature that compliments that well enough to interest her, and fewer still of her children can handle the balance between divine chaos and mortal normalcy. Most of them die, and still more are put into aslyums, and more are killed by monsters."

"So how come you survived?" asked Percy with the delicacy of a scapel.

"Because," said Kallisti, baring her teeth, "my father wasn't normal."

"Coming back from this," said Annabeth slowly, "I should look for a big iron flying chariot with skeleton, fire-breathing horses to pull up at my house around..."

"Give it another hour," said Kallisti.

Percy wanted to say so many things as he and Annabeth stood there staring at each other. But what could be said? What could he say that wouldn't drive her away from him? What could he say that he hadn't already tried and failed to say a thousand times?

_I love you_. He could say that.

But he couldn't.

NEXT CHAPTER:

"Other gods fear you, Perseus Jackson. They see you as a threat to the current order. It is fortunate for you that I am the antithesis of order. I am officially on the Olympian side, but in fact, no matter what happens, there will always be chaos. I am set for the rest of eternity."

"Talk about job security," muttered Nico.


End file.
